About UNDEF

UNDEF was created by UN Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan in 2005 as a United Nations General Trust Fund to support democratization efforts around the world. It was welcomed [http://www.un.org/womenwatch/ods/A-RES-60-1-E.pdf] by the General Assembly in the Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit (A/RES/60/1, paragraphs 136-137).

UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations -- both in the transition and consolidation phases of democratization. In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and unique role in complementing the UN's other, more traditional work -- the work with Governments -- to strengthen democratic governance around the world. UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions from Governments; in 2015, it reached almost 170 million dollars in contributions and counts more than 40 countries as donors, including many middle- and low-income States in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In 10 Rounds of Funding so far, UNDEF has supported over 600 projects in more than 100 countries.

UNDEF projects are two years long and fall under one or more of seven main areas;

· Community Activism

· Rule of Law and Human Rights

· Tools for Knowledge

· Women's Empowerment

· Youth Engagement

· Media and Freedom of Information

· Strengthening Civil Society Capacity for Interaction with Government

UNDEF grants range from US$100,000 to US$300,000. Project proposals are subject to a highly rigorous and competitive selection process, as UNDEF receives an average of about 2,000-3,000 proposals a year and only some 50-60 are selected.

UNDEF was one of only two UN entities mentioned by President Barack Obama in his speech to the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2010. Declaring that "it’s time for every Member State... to increase the UN Democracy Fund", President Obama spoke of democracy as the form of government that delivers most for citizens, and described civil society -- the focus of UNDEF's work -- as the shapers of human progress and the conscience of communities.